Croquet vs Golf Croquet: Which Game Should You Play?

If you want a quick, sociable game the whole family can pick up in five minutes, choose golf croquet. If you enjoy tactics, planning ahead and a longer afternoon on the lawn, association croquet rewards the patience. Both use the same set, the same hoops and the same mallets, so you can play either with the kit already in your shed.

The difference is not the equipment but the rhythm. Golf croquet has every player racing for the same hoop; association croquet lets you build long turns and quietly outwit an opponent. Here is how the two compare, and how to decide which one to set up this weekend.

The same lawn, two different games

The first thing to understand is that golf croquet and association croquet are not separate sports. They share a court, the same six hoops, a centre peg and the same four balls. If you own a set with proper mallets and full-weight Sussex croquet balls, you already have everything you need for both. The choice is simply which set of rules you play by.

In golf croquet, all four balls fight for the same hoop at once. The first ball through scores the point, and then everyone moves on to the next hoop together. There is no extra shot for hitting another ball, so the game stays brisk and easy to follow. Our guide on choosing toys that get played with, how to choose children's toys that last, makes the same point: simple, sociable play keeps everyone involved.

Association croquet is the older, slower cousin. You earn extra strokes by running hoops and by hitting other balls, which lets a skilful player string moves together into a long, satisfying turn. The history of the game stretches back well over a century, and Jaques was the firm that first brought it to British lawns. You can read that story in our piece on the oldest games company in the world.

How the rules differ in practice

The clearest way to feel the difference is to watch a turn. In golf croquet, you take one shot, then play passes to the next person. Everyone aims at the same hoop, and the tactics are about blocking, clearing and timing your run rather than building a break. The rules of golf croquet fit on a single page, which is why clubs use it to welcome newcomers.

Association croquet adds the croquet stroke, the move the whole sport is named after. When your ball hits another, you place yours against it and play both, then take a continuation shot. String these together and a single turn can carry a ball through several hoops. The association game also requires you to run hoops in a set order, blue and black against red and yellow.

For families, that gap matters. Golf croquet keeps everyone involved every few seconds, which suits younger children who lose interest when a turn drags. Association croquet rewards the patience to watch and plan. If you are thinking about other garden and lawn games, our best skittles sets guide is a gentle companion read for family afternoons outdoors.

Time, difficulty and who keeps coming back

Time is the deciding factor for many households. A casual golf croquet game can be done in twenty minutes, which fits neatly into a garden party or a fidgety afternoon. An association singles game runs far longer, sometimes an hour or more, because building breaks takes care. If you are squeezing croquet between other things, golf croquet is the kinder choice.

Difficulty follows the same line. Golf croquet is simple to start and surprisingly subtle once you learn to block and clear; it never feels out of reach. Association croquet has a steeper climb, but that climb is exactly why players stay loyal for decades. Work indexed at the National Library of Medicine on outdoor activity in later life points to the value of gentle, sociable games like this, and the NHS recommends regular light movement for all ages.

For mixed-age groups, golf croquet keeps a six-year-old and a grandparent on equal footing. The view from Play England that shared outdoor play builds family bonds applies here. If you want a heritage set that will last, our bespoke croquet collection handles both forms beautifully, and a spare winning peg keeps the kit complete.

Choosing the right set for the game you'll play

You do not need different kit for the two forms, but the quality of your set shapes how either plays. Solid wood mallets sit better in the hand and strike truer than plastic, and good cast-iron hoops hold their width through a summer. For a sense of how we think about lasting kit, our guide on choosing things that actually get used applies just as well to a lawn set as to a toy box.

For families leaning towards golf croquet, a four-player garden set is plenty. If you suspect someone will catch the association bug, choose a set with proper weighted balls and a sturdy mallet, since the croquet stroke demands more of both. A spare black challenge croquet ball is worth having when the keen players want their own, and you will find heritage options in our bespoke croquet range.

Replacement balls and pegs keep a set going for years. You will find full-weight regulation balls, a winning peg and Sussex balls for both forms. The Forest Stewardship Council mark on responsibly sourced wood is worth looking for when you buy.

So which should you play?

If you are choosing for a family garden, start with golf croquet. It is quick, fair across ages and easy to teach in one go, so nobody is left waiting or confused. Once everyone knows the lawn, the curious players can graduate to association croquet on the same set, which is how most clubs introduce the longer game too.

If you are a couple or a club looking for a thinking game, association croquet is the deeper pleasure. The croquet stroke, the hoop order and the slow building of a break give you something to refine for years. Many players enjoy both, using golf croquet for visitors and association for the serious afternoons. For a thoughtful screen-free family afternoon, our piece on the best screen-free toys sits comfortably alongside a game on the lawn.

Whichever you choose, the kit overlaps entirely, so there is no wrong first step. Browse the bespoke croquet collection for a heritage set, or pick up replacement pieces such as a blue challenge ball to round out a four-player game. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds early croquet material that shows how little the game has changed.

There is no need to choose once and for all. Golf croquet will get your whole family laughing on the lawn this weekend, and association croquet is waiting on the very same hoops when someone wants to think a little harder. Set them both up, see which one your household keeps asking for, and enjoy a game that has held its place on British summers for well over a century.